This relates generally to wireless communications circuitry, and more particularly, to electronic devices having wireless communications circuitry.
Electronic devices such as portable computers and cellular telephones are often provided with wireless communications capabilities. For example, electronic devices may use long-range wireless communications circuitry such as cellular telephone circuitry to communicate using cellular telephone bands. Electronic devices may use short-range wireless communications circuitry such as wireless local area network communications circuitry to handle communications with nearby equipment. Electronic devices may also be provided with satellite navigation system receivers and other wireless circuitry.
To satisfy consumer demand for small form factor wireless devices, manufacturers are continually striving to implement wireless communications circuitry such as antenna components using compact structures. However, it can be difficult to fit conventional antenna structures into small devices. For example, antennas that are confined to small volumes often exhibit narrower operating bandwidths than antennas that are implemented in larger volumes. If the bandwidth of an antenna becomes too narrow, the antenna will not be able to cover all communications bands of interest.
In view of these considerations, it would be desirable to provide antenna tuning elements that allow the antenna to cover a wider range of frequency bands. Antenna tuning elements are adjustable components that can be placed in various tuning states during wireless operation of an electronic device. In order for the antenna to be able to cover the desired range of frequency bands, the antenna tuning elements would have to be able to switch among the different tuning states and to provide appropriate loading in the different respective tuning states.
During device assembly, workers and automated assembly machines may be used to solder the antenna tuning elements to various antenna structures and to otherwise form connections to other wireless circuitry. If care is not taken, however, faults may result that can impact the performance of a final assembled device. For example, an antenna tuning element may not be properly mounted within the electronic device. As another example, an antenna tuning element may be damaged during assembly due to overheating, electrical stress (i.e., from excessive amounts of electrostatic discharge), and mechanical stress (i.e., from being dropped or otherwise mishandled), or may exhibit manufacturing defects that result in the antenna tuning element being unable to switch from one state to another or exhibiting unsatisfactory loading in the different states. In some situations, it can be difficult or impossible to detect and identify these defects, if at all, until assembly is complete and a finished device is available for testing. Detection of defects only after assembly is complete can result in costly device scrapping or extensive reworking.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved ways in which to characterize the performance and to detect faults associated with antenna tuning elements during the manufacturing of electronic devices.